


Quest for The Doctor

by Michelle212



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Gen, Quest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-19 21:04:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17009178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Michelle212/pseuds/Michelle212
Summary: When The Doctor is mysteriously whisked away. It falls to Yaz to find her and bring her home.





	1. Chapter 1

Quest for The Doctor:

Chapter 1

Before The TARDIS was even fully set down she felt it, a cold prickling at her skin and a thickening of the air around her. She let go of the controls the moment it was safe to and pulled out her sonic but it was to late. Crystalline walls were forming around her. Already Ryan and Yaz were blocked from her sight. “Graham, use the TARDIS. Like with the watch. You can do it. Just remember to ne nice and don't…” The crystal walls completed and then the whole structure disappeared with a light pop, leaving nothing behind but the sonic.

****

Graham was trying to grab at the walls encasing The Doctor but his hands just slid away like water on ice. “Hey! Stop that! Leave her be!” but it was all useless and he stumbled forward as the crystal disappeared taking The Doctor with it.

Ryan looked around frantically. “What was that? What happened? Where's The Doctor?”

“I don't know.” Answered Graham. “She's just gone. That thing took her.”

“Took her. Took her where? And how do we find her?”

Yaz knelt down and picked up the sonic. “We don't know, but I intend to find out.” Then she stood, went to the glowing console, and tried to decipher the readings. “Graham, she was talking to you. What did she say?”

“What? I don't know. It was all blurred and muffled and it's not like there weren't other more urgent things going on.”

Yaz grabbed the older man by the shoulders and gave him a quick shake. Then looked him straight in the eyes and said with calm authority, “Think Graham. Focus. This could be important. Now, what did she say?”

Graham took a deep breath. “Right. OK. Right. Uhm. She said use the TARDIS and like the watch and be nice but don't. Don't something but she was cut off.”

“Okay. Good.” Yaz was scanning the console screens once more. “So we just use the TARDIS to find her and then we go get her.”

“I don't know about that. How would we find her? Besides what if it's not safe out there? If something can snatch the Doc right off her TARDIS, what could it do to us out on our own?”

Ryan grabbed up the sonic from the console. “We use this. She said ‘like the watch’ right? So what if she was talking about Yaz's Grans watch. The one she used to get the TARDIS to go to Prem?” He slid over to the spot on the console and laid the sonic onto one of the octagons there, then reached up and grabbed the main switch, and pulled.

“No. Wait.” Graham hollered as he tried to stop Ryan, but the switch was thrown and it was to late to stop it.

********

The crystal engulfing her burst into a shower of sparkling lights. She watched as the colorful lights drifted away like bubbles, coloring the walls with rainbows, and then disappearing to leave her alone inside a plain white box of a room with no windows or doors. “Well, gotta say that's a pretty way to travel at least. Not terribly comfortable but defiantly pretty. Now where am I? Where's my TARDIS? And where are the others?”

At her questions one wall lit up and covering the wall a rather blank map appeared with two small dots. The one at the top left was red and labeled Doctor with a blue one at the bottom right labeled TARDIS. The blue dot began growing into an image of the TARDIS and then moved inward to show the three companions. 

She watched as Yaz studied the console moving from screen to screen while Graham and Ryan appeared to be bickering. Then she saw Ryan grab up her sonic, place it on the psychic location pad, and throw the main switch. She smiled slightly as Ryan’s look of triumph and Graham’s look of panic both faded to puzzlement and relief when nothing happened. 

On the screen Yaz turned into profile so The Doctor could finally see her beautiful young face and the single unshed tear that glistened in the clear brown eye as a brief flare of hope turned to disappointment. Then Yaz quickly rubbed her eye and stood straight and strong calling the men's attention as she pointed out something on the exterior atmosphere screen. The Doctor touched by Yaz's depth of emotion reached out toward her image until her hand just brushed the girls face.

“A Champion has been chosen.” Boomed a deep reverberating voice. “Let the testing begin.”

The image spun around and moved into a close-up on Yaz's strong determined lovely face went to a yellow glow and than shrank to a small yellow dot overlapping the blue dot on the map. 

The Doctor looked up panicked. “What? No! No Champion! No Testing! You leave her alone.” She pulled herself up and said with all the power she could muster. “I demand you stop this at once. That girl and the others are under my protection. I will not allow you to harm them, not one hair. Do you know who I am? I am The Doctor. Do a bit of research. Ask around. You'll see I’m not someone you want to mess with.”

The flat deep voice responded without emotion. “The Doctor; Savior of Agora, Jahoo, and The Ood; Destroyer of Akhaten, Scaro, and Gallifrey. A creature spoken of as both great and terrible, courageous and fickle, saint and demon. One who has come to us without request or invitation, purpose unknown. It has been decreed that the truth of this one must be made know by the testing of a chosen champion and judgement rendered”

“Oh. Uh; Well, that was a bit much. Sorry ‘bout that. Didn't mean to be rude, but I assure you totally nice. Really I am. No harm ment. Just heard about your markets and wanted a bit of a look around. See completely innocent. No testing needed. In fact just send me back to my TARDIS and we'll just pop off and get right out of your hair.”

“Dispatch the Great Collector to summon the Champion to testing.”

The small blue dot grew out again to show Ryan stepping towards the door of the TARDIS.

********

“Okay okay. Enough.” said Yaz to stop the bickering Ryan’s impulsive attempt had started. “Ryan, Graham is right if the TARDIS had taken off there is no assurance that we would have gone to the Doctor and then who knows if we would ever get back. But Graham, Ryan's idea to use the sonic like The Doctor used Pram's watch was a good one. Right idea just not necessarily the right action. So let's use the psychic location but instead of taking off blind let's try and see if we can get the TARDIS to tell us where to look.”

“Hey yeh that could work.” Said Ryan 

Graham begrudgingly agreed. “Fine. So long as we aren't just flying off blind.” They all looked up as something banged on the doors. “Now what?”

“I say we just answer it.” 

Yaz pulled over a screen. “Hold on, Ryan. Let me see if I can get an angle on the door.” She scowled trying to get the outside view to adjust. “Come on. Please move. Just a little bit.”

The banging came again and Ryan stepped to the door. “That's it I'm answering it.” And pulled the door open. In bounced a floofy white ball of fur no higher than his knee. It bound past him straight to Yaz and held the card in it's mouth up to her.

Yaz took the card from the fluffy white 'dog?’. It was a slightly rumpled black rectangle with white block lettering that said ‘Follow Me’. She turned it over ‘to save The Doctor' was scrawled on the other side. Graham looked over her shoulder. “What did the Doc do, fall down a well?” Yaz grabbed her jacket and the dog leapt forward to lead her. Graham grabbed his jacket “I don't know about this. What if it's a trick?” but when he a Ryan stepped forward the dog stopped, turned on them, and growled. “Whoa there. Didn't mean to insult you. We're coming.” The dog continued to growl, it's hackles came up, and it seemed to swell until it was nearly shoulder high. Then it slowly backed up forcing Yaz backwards into the foyer to the door. 

Suddenly it calmed back down into a happy little knee high ball of floof, wagged it's tail happily at Yaz and bound out the door. Graham and Ryan tried to follow but hit an invisible wall that sent off burst of little lights when touched. “What the…” he looked at Yaz.

“Sorry Graham but I've got to try. I can't risk losing her. You and Ryan keep working with the TARDIS.” And she stepped away after the floof.

*****

The Doctor watched as the blue dots image of Graham and Ryan standing staring at the TARDIS' doors shrank down to a small square, no bigger than a monitor, in the corner. The image of Yaz following the floof followed the yellow dot up the line on the map that now ran from the TARDIS to The Doctor. Three shaded areas shimmered into view between Yaz's yellow and The Doctor's red. The first was labeled intelligence. The second was spirit. The third was called strength.

The Doctor watched Yaz striding forward with confidence. “Oh Yaz, please be careful. May your trials be easy. My luv, be brave, be strong, and above all be clever.”


	2. Intelligence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you answer the riddles before Yaz does? Try playing along.

Chapter 2

Yaz followed the happy tail wagging floof down a quiet country path past fields of grass dotted with a few far off trees and cottages. Where she saw the distant cottages she saw splashes of color like each cottage was surrounded by flowers in varying shades. The path was clear and the sun warm with a light breeze causing the grasses to sway. It was all very calming despite her concern for The Doctor. Up ahead she saw something on the road. As they grew closer Yaz saw it was a set of large golden gates. She followed the floof to the foot of the gates, where he sat and looked back at her with a big doggy grin. 

After a moment the gates slowly opened and there sitting before her on a pedestal was a creature that for all the world looked like nothing other than a mythical sphinx only well smaller. She was about 4 feet long from the tip of her long tail to the top of her head. Her body was that of sleek muscular tan and brown cat with great creamy eagle's wings sprouting out of her back between her shoulders and with the sweet impossibly beautiful tan face of an angel. Her hair was long beaded braids in the same colors as her soft fur that swayed as she spoke. 

“Welcome Champion. You have been chosen for the testing. Your Doctor has come seeking entrance to our markets but word of The Doctor precedes her. We have heard many things about her and her many incarnations over millennia. Things both great and terrible and so it is now for us to judge for ourselves. And nothing is so great a determiner of who someone truly is than the companions they choose. You are The Doctor's companion and chosen champion. If you come forward you will be tested in intelligence, spirit, and strength. No matter the outcome the path will lead you to Your Doctor. But once you start you cannot go back no matter the danger to yourself or others. Should you choose to turn back now, you and the friends you left behind will be returned unharmed to your homes.”

“but what about The Doctor what happens to her?”

“If you turn back, she will be judged without trial. If you show poorly in the trials, she will be judged. If you show well in the trials, she will be welcome to come to our market with you and the others. So now Champion you must choose. Will you go forward or back?”

Yaz stood quietly a moment considering all she had heard. “I'll go to The Doctor.”

The floofy little dog gave a happy bark wagged his tail and ran off. The Sphinx smiled and beckoned her in. “Very well right this way.” 

Yaz stepped forward into a large circular grotto made up of green hedges higher than her head. Around the grotto stood five more pedestals and before each pedestal was a niche in the hedge. “For your first trial, intelligence, you will be given five riddles one at each niche. You can consider as long as you like but no questions will be answered. Consider carefully before you answer for right or wrong once an answer is given it cannot be changed and you must move on. So let's begin.” With that the sphinx leapt into the air gave a great beat of her wings and then glided to the next pedestal. Yaz was momentarily mesmerized by the sphinx's beauty in flight but then she shook herself from the spell and moved forward to tackle the first riddle.

In the first niche was the image of a ship floating calmly at dock. The sphinx raised her head and in a sweet sing song voice delivered the riddle. “Answer me this and tell me true: a ship sets calmly at dock her ladder down into the water with only eight rungs showing. Each rung is exactly one foot above the rung below. The tide is coming in at a rate of one foot for every fifteen minutes. How many rungs will be showing in one hour?”

Yaz turned the riddle over in her head. Eight rungs. The water rises one foot (or one rung) every 15 minutes for one hour. So 1 hour is 4 rungs. 8 rungs minus 4 is 4. It seemed to easy but she ran the numbers in her head 3 time before answering. “Four. The answer is four rungs.”

The sphinx gave a great sigh and shook her head. “ah child, alas, no. The correct answer is eight. For you see this is a ship and it rises with the tide, so no rungs will be lost.” She shook her head again then with a leap lifted her wings and glided to the next pedestal. Yaz silently cursed herself and then stepped forward determined to do better.

In the second niche was the image of a woodland path with a small covered bridge over a bubbling brook. As Yaz watched a deer with two spotted fawns crossed over the path and back into the woods on the other side. The sphinx looked up and sing-songed, “Answer me this and tell me true: What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never talks, has a bed but never sleeps, has a head but never weeps?”

Yaz carefully repeated the riddle to herself and then turned it over piece by piece. No answer came to her so she tried to break it down by considering possible answers to each point and seeing if they fit with the others but still wasn't finding a good answer. After several minutes she started to feel a bit desperate, determined that she wasn't going to fail, not again. She had to get this, just had to. But the more pressure she put on herself the less she could think. Then she just stopped, closed her eyes, and said to herself. “I will not psych myself out. I will stay calm. I will relax. I can figure this out. I will figure this out. I will relax and think and see the answer.” Then she took another calming breath opened her eyes and watched as the deer reemerged from the trees and went down to the brook for a drink. “No. Not a brook, a river, a running river. A running river would never walk. It had a head and a mouth an ran along the river bed. She ran it through in her head one last time just to be sure and then said with a triumphant smile, “a river. The answer is a river.”

The sphinx gave her a dazzling smile. “Very good child. Very good.” And then leapt to the next pedestal.

When Yaz looked in the third niche it was empty with no image to give her a clue. The sphinx smiled at the girls brief look of disappointment, lifted her head and sing-songed “Answer me this and tell me true: what is more powerful than a god, the rich need it, the poor have it, and if you eat it you will die?”

Once again Yaz carefully went over the riddle in her head looking at it from all angles. She kept coming back to the middle. “What do the poor have that the rich need? I can't think of anything. There's nothing the poor have that the rich need. Nothing. So….” And then it hit her and she checked it against all the conditions, looked and the empty niche, and smiled. “Nothing. The answer is nothing.”

“Oh excellent.” Cried the sphinx, “Excellent indeed.” And flew to the next pedestal.

The image in the fourth niche was of a rather average looking man standing on a stool in an empty room with a stone floor. The man held and egg up as high as he could and dropped it. The egg fell to about the level of his feet before the image reset and the egg was dropped once more. The same image repeated again and again each time resetting before to egg ever reach the floor. The sphinx lifted her head and sing-songed, “Answer me this and tell me true: An average man stands in an empty room with a stone floor and drops a raw egg five feet without it breaking. How does he do it?”

Yaz's imagination started spinning with thoughts of egg cages and floor pads and gravity free rooms but then she stopped realizing none of that could be right. Those answers were to complex, to outside the riddle. Every riddle so far had been straight forward. Tricky yes but not out of nowhere. The answer had to be there in the riddle. She went over it line by line while she watched the egg in the image fall over and over. Then she though ‘five feet. Why FIVE feet? Why not six or eight or ten? Unless. Could it be? It works but…’ then she watched to image reset once more, turned to the sphinx and said doubtfully. “He holds it up more than five feet before dropping it, so it falls five feet without breaking but after the rest of the fall when it hits the floor it breaks?”

The sphinx gave her a long silent look and then burst into a smile. “Yes! Exactly. I've never had anyone get that one right before. Well done.” Then with a flourish she glided to the last pedestal.

The image in the last niche made Yaz gasp. It showed The Doctor standing alone in a stark room surrounded by nothing but white walls. She was watching something intently with her nose scrunched up. Then she looked almost startled before smiling brightly and giving Yaz a thumbs up. The image then stopped frozen on that beautiful shining smile behind a happy thumbs up. Yaz listened without looking away as the sphinx sing-songed, “Answer me this and tell me true: This can be blind, this can be powerful, this can be difficult and deep, complicated and tender all at the same time. What is it?”

Yaz never even thought she just looked at The Doctor's glowing smile and answered, “Love. That is love.”

The sphinx looked from Yaz to The Doctor and back. “Oh yes child. That is indeed love.” And then leapt up and glided to return to the pedestal where they began.

Yaz took one last long look at The Doctor's smile and followed. As she came back to the entrance, she could see that what lay beyond was no longer an empty path through quiet fields. Instead beyond the gap in the hedges was a rather sleepy little country town and at the entrance stood a tall handsome well dressed young man with a charming smile focused on her.


	3. Spirit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: there is a single subtle reference to a past non-consensual act

Chapter 3

The Doctor glanced at the image showing the TARDIS interior to see Graham and Ryan still sorting through information gathered from the console screens. From time to time they looked up and spoke to each other, but for now at least it seemed the bickering had petered off. 

She than turned her focus back to the yellow dot’s image as it moved from the now green shaded area marked Intelligence and moved into the area marked spirit. She watched as a handsome young man in shinny black boots and black linen slacks topped with a rich red jacket thick with gold brocade gave a slight bow and offered Yaz his arm. As soon as Yaz stepped forward and took the proffered arm she was transformed. Where she had been wearing her typical sneakers, jeans, and T with her favorite leather jacket and her hair pulled out of her face into two knots atop her head, she was now dressed for a ball. She wore a long full golden skirt that swept the ground under a long deep red jacket with gold brocade and golden buttons that held the bodice of the jacket snug from the opening of the short stiff oriental collar to the tight waist, where the jacket opened to flow down over the skirt to mid calf. Her hair was twisted up atop her head in a soft spiral with just a few tendrils trailing down on either side to frame her beautiful face. The Doctor's breath caught in her chest at the sight of the young woman's beauty. Then she noticed the way Yaz's look so complimented and enhanced the young mans as well as the brief look of pride and possession that crossed his face before the charming smile returned and she scowled. “Watch out for that one, Yaz. There's more going on here than meets the eye.”

*******

“Good noon my lady. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Hisam Chabi, merchant prince and manor lord of the humble town you see before you. I have come to guide you through your spirit trial, but first I would humbly ask that you grace me and my holdings with your presence at luncheon.” With that he gave a small nod of a bow and offered Yaz his arm.

Yaz doubted very much that there was anything humble about this young man but gave him a smile anyway and reached to take his arm. “Thank you for the kind invitation. A BRIEF lunch before going forward would be nice.”

As soon as she stepped from the hedge and touched his arm she was struck with a moment of disorientation. It passed quickly but in its wake the hedge behind her was gone as was her comfortable cloths. Instead she was wearing a tight heavy jacket over a full length skirt with soft boots and her hair was all pulled up and balanced atop her head. She stood a moment getting her bearings and then gave a frown.

Prince Hisam flashed her a wide smile that clearly was meant to be dazzling. “Do you not like it? You look exquisite, the perfect jewel to decorate a man's arm.”

Yaz clenched her teeth. She really didn't like this guy but if this is what it took to get to The Doctor… “It's lovely.” She said making herself smile. “I just wish you had asked first. Such fine clothes may make for lovely decoration at lunch but I have trials coming that could call for a more practical outfit.

“ah fear not, my beauty. When the time is come I will see you well cared for. Until then to luncheon that I might show you off to my pesants.” And with a sweep he led her into the town to a small inn. When they entered the inn the busy chattering of happy talk went quiet. He swept her to a large table directly before the hearth and paused, purposefully taking no notice of the six men sitting there as they quickly gathered up their plate and cups to scramble away.

Yaz gave a strained smile. “They seem pretty busy. Why don't we just sit at a smaller table?”

“Don't be silly. This is the finest table in the inn.” Her pulled out a chair for her. “Only the best will do for so fine a pair as we.” 

She gritted her teeth and sucked it up. ‘Just get though this lunch and get back to business' she told herself, sighed, and slid into the offer seat with a gracious “Thank you.”

Hisam seated himself and then looked up and scowled at the waitress who scurried up to them. “Really? You? Is there no one else to serve us?”

“apologies, milord, but there is just me today.” She said with clearly forced charm.

“Fine. It makes no mind. Bring us two of your finest meals and be quick about it.” He waved the waitress away and turned to Yaz. “My sincerest apologies fine lady on the quality of the service but there is so little good help to choose from these day.”

“She seemed fine to me.”

“Ah yes it would appear so on the surface but just one time did I allow her to warm my bed and she had the temerity to try to put her son’s paternity on me. It was absolutely mortifying, to suggest that her common uneducated little whelp could possibly…”

Thankfully he was cut off by the arrival of the meal, saving Yaz from having to reach across the table and strangle him. She gave the young (she can't be even as old as me) waitress what she hoped was a grateful smile. “Thank you very much.”

The waitress gave her a stern look and then softened at Yaz's clear sympathy. “You are very welcome. Please enjoy.” She said and left as Prince Hisam frowned.

Yaz ignored Hisam and turned to the task of eating her stew. She just wanted to get it done so this lunch could be over, she could get in with her trials, and be done with this horrible man. She was about half through when a young boy no more than five or six came up between them, reached up to place a roll on the table, and jostled her plate so a bit of gravy spilled onto her. Before she could even react Hisam growled “Stupid Brat” and back handed the child so hard he was knocked against the stone hearth with a crack and a scream. Hisam bound to his feet clearly intent on continuing after the child and Yaz leapt from her chair shielding the small boy's body with her own.

“Stay back.” She commanded and for a moment thought he might try to strike her. She looked him right in the eye and practically dared him. ‘Go ahead and try.’ She thought. ‘I can fight back.’ But said nothing aloud. The challenge in her eyes must have been clear because after a few moments standing red faced and hands fisted he turned away.

“Stupid uneducated whelp’s not worth the trouble.” He grumbled.

Yaz checked the boy and saw his arm was clearly broken but no other injuries were apparent. The waitress carefully scooted past Hisam and ran to scoop up the boy in her arms. The boy gave a small cry. “His arm is broken. He needs a doctor.” Said Yaz to the young mother and then turned to the room. “Please, he needs a doctor. Where can we get him care?”

An anonymous man in the back spoke up. “Aye. One's been called along with the KING's magistrate.”

Yaz stepped aside when the medic arrived at the boy's side. From behind them a deep authoritative voice filled the room. “What's happened here?”

Hisam grabbed Yaz's arm and hissed at her , “If you want any chance at completing your trial and finding your precious Doctor, you'll keep your mouth shut. Remember this is MY land. Your just passing through.” She pulled away from him but he barely noticed as he swept the room with a meaningful glare and then stared down the waitress until she turned away.

The magistrate looked around as people turned away “Come now. Speak up. Nothing I can do if you won't tell me what's happened.”

Hisam stepped forward with a smarmy smile and extended a hand. “Ah good sir, twas but an accident. The serving boy but slipped and fell.” When the magistrate failed to take his hand, his smile faltered and he pulled it back. “It was good of you to escort the medic, but there is no need of you here. You can return to your warm office and fine lunch.” The magistrate took another look around the room, shrugged, and turned as if to leave. Yaz stared in amazement as everyone avoided even looking at Hisam or the magistrate. “Remember your purpose here.” Hissed the prince but she shrugged him off.

“Magistrate, wait. This boy did NOT slip and fall he was thrown into the stones by a blow from Prince Hisam.”

The magistrate turned his full attention on Yaz. “Prince?” he said with a raised brow. “Hisam attacked this boy?”

Yaz nodded. “Yes, sir. He was unhappy because he wasn't getting the attention he wanted and when the boy accidentally spilled a bit of my soup Hisam back handed him so hard the boy was thrown down and injured. Hisam was going to continue but was stopped.”

“And how was he stopped?”

Yaz stumbled a bit then said “because I got in his way.”

The magistrate gave her a long look. “You are the Champion are you not?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Aren't you worried that testifying against this man will interfere with your trails and keep you from finding The Doctor?”

“It doesn't matter. I'll just have to find her without him. I could never just walk away and let this man continue to hurt and abuse these people and The Doctor wouldn't want me to. She travels all of time and space helping people. That's what we do.”

“ah but what if they weren't what you think? What if the glamour was removed?” and with a wave of his hand the inn and the other guests vanished. Yaz, back to her normal clothes and style, stood with the magistrate beside a low table surrounded by a large stone circle where the inn walls had been. Hisam was still there as were the medic, the waitress, and her injured son but now they were all strange creatures covered in blue scales and dripping slime. Their faces were rough grey/blue leather with large open nostriled snouts and tusks. Hisam was draped in layers of gold chains that reached past his knees. The medic was layered with leather stapes hung with various small tools. Mother and son were naked. 

Yaz found their appearance a bit repulsive but held her ground. “Doesn't matter. Is the situation the same? The relationships and actions and what is happening?”

“Aye.” Agreed the magistrate “Regrettably that is. All as you saw and has been for far too long.”

“Then the looks don't matter. Right is still right. Hisam hurt that boy and he did it on purpose.” And for just a moment she imagined she heard The Doctor cheering.

“Very well. Your testimony is accepted. Hisam shall be punished for his abuses. So tell us Champion what penalty would you impose?”

Yaz took the time to give it some real thought. She looked long at the woman and child considering all she had learned. “Tell me” she asked the waitress/mother “Is Hisam the boys father? Are you sure?”

The creature nodded her head. “Yes. It is sure. I was to young for such things when he took me and had known no other.”

Yaz grimaced at what that implied then turned back to the Magistrate. “Here's what I'd do. Move the woman and her son into his household and set the boy as his heir, to be fully supported, educated, and cared for. For as long as they live there, Hisam must live in a separate part of the household or a separate house. And if he ever injures or abuses or intimidates anyone under his authority again then he is to be stripped of all his authority and sent away with all his wealth and property going to his child or children.”

The Magistrate stood for a long time head slightly tilted as if listening to a far off conversation. Then he looked back to Yaz and smiled. “So shall it be. Thank you Champion you have done well here today and have righted a situation that was bad for so many. You have shown great spirit and reflect well on Your Doctor.”

With a smile and a wave to the path out of town he said. “Now let me guide you to your third and final trial.”


	4. Strength

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers  
> Season 11 episodes 1-9

Chapter 4

The Doctor watched Yaz and the Magistrate as they walked quietly along the path. Yaz seemed to be deep in thought and said little. At one point the magistrate handed her something wrapped in paper that she opened and ate followed by a canteen that she drank from and moved on. Whoever was in charge had let her listen to what was being said at the end of the last trial and she had burst on in cheering for her champion. Now that the sound was again silent she remembered Yaz declaring how The Doctor always helped, always did right and it touched both her hearts. She loved this amazing young woman and feared for her as she approached the trial to come.

*****

Yaz looked up as the Magistrate stopped. “This is where your final trial, the trail of strength begins. I can go with you no further.”

“What do I do?” she asked looking at the path ahead where it wound up the gentle slop of a hill.

“See that spot at the top of the hill?” Yaz nodded. “That is a tent. Inside the tent you will find Your Doctor. All you need do is go to her but don't be fooled by the seeming ease of the task for this is a timeless path that will stretch out and fold back without notice or warning always playing with your sense of time and gravity. A true test of inner strength to be sure but child if anyone can do it you can. And know this, Your Doctor is watching. She is with you. Believe in her, believe in yourself, and above all never forget your goal and never stop moving”

“Thank you.” She said solemnly, looked at the small spot where The Doctor could be found, and stepped onto the path. 

As she walked the gentle looking slope of the path felt steeper and steeper until she was holding her hand out before her to balance, but she kept going.

Her legs and body became heavier and heavier until it was a struggle to even drag her feet forward, but inch by difficult inch she kept going.

The road stretched out before her and she realized it was dark with night and then morning came again and the spot at the top of the hill seemed no closer, but she kept going.

At one point she looked up and there before her, only a short ways off, she could see the red and white striped tent in all it's glory and she began to run with all her might. She ran until sweat blinded her and her lungs began to burn only to wipe the sweat from her eyes and see she was facing inexplicably down hill. She turned to find the tent was once again a far away point and she cried hot tears of frustration and loss, but she kept going.

The sun rose hot overhead baking her until she felt her skin burn and her lips crack, but she kept going.

The cold moon followed the hot sun in meaningless patterns that could be moments or days from one to the next sending her vacillating from bone numbing cold to skin blistering heat and back again, but she kept going.

Her stomach cramped with hunger. Her mouth was parched with thirst. Her mind became fuzzy with effort til she could no longer think or feel or care, but she kept going.

Her steps began to falter and she could barely remember why she was there when she heard the rattle of beads and a sing-songy voice whispered to her “I tell you this, I tell you true, look up to your love waiting for you.” She looking up seeing the tent in the distance remembered The Doctor's smiling face behind a thumbs up and kept going.

She became so weightless her feet could not get traction, the only way to move was to claw into the ground with her hands. Her nails cracked, her fingers cramped and bled, but she kept going.

She was back on her feet but the path kept turning her round and round. Waves of heat rose from the ground until she could not see. A great fear rose up that she was going the wrong way and her steps faltered. Then a deep kind voice said with authority “Believe in Your Doctor. Believe in yourself. Do not stop.” Then she once again heard The Doctor cheering for her and she kept going.

She looked up and there only a little ways ahead of her was the tent that held The Doctor. She closed her eyes and blocked all outside thoughts and feelings from her mind. She thought only of The Doctor.

She saw the Doctor in a ragged suite two sizes to big. “I'm coming.” And took a step.

She saw The Doctor standing proudly showing off her new thrift store outfit. “I'm coming.” And took a step.

She saw the glow of joy on The Doctor's face when her ghost monument reappeared. “I'm coming.” And stepped.

The Doctor's deep sadness and awe as Rosa Parks refused to move. Step.

The Doctor hugging her mother. Step.

The Doctor asking her to pick a number. Step.

The Doctor speaking about love to her young gran and Prem. Step.

The Doctor looking up at her as she gleefully placed a fez in her golden locks. Step.

The Doctor wet and dripping and safe on the river bank. Step.

The Doctor gently calling Graham away from a false Grace. Step.

The soft feel of The Doctor's skin as Yaz wrapped the scarf. Step.

She opened her eyes and there directly before her was the open flap of the tent. Yaz reached out. “I love you Doctor.” And stepped through.


	5. Complete

Chapter 5

Graham watched over Ryan’s shoulder as he played back the video one last time. In all their scanning and reading and searching Ryan had found a playback of The Doctor setting the various toggles, levers, and switches that had gotten them to India. They had watched it though several times now and pretty much had it memorized. “Well,” asked Ryan, “What do you think?”.

“I hate to say it, but I think we may just have to give it a try.” They had gotten there in the morning and it was early evening. A full day with no word from The Doctor and worse no way of knowing what was happening to Yaz had Graham worried and ready to try anything that might get them to The Doctor so they could find and rescue Yaz.

“Oh and hey. Who knows. Yaz might even be with The Doctor right now. The two of ‘em just waiting for us to show.”

“I sure hope so.” Said Graham half heartedly. Then he shook himself and put on his brave face. “So, what are you waiting for? If we're going to do this, then might as well get it done.”

“Okay Granddad. Let's do this.”

*****

The Doctor had stood watching Yaz through every step of her final trial. There had not been much to see over the few hours it had taken her to walk up the hill but she knew that for Yaz it must have been so much more. Who knows what games they had been playing with her reality. The Doctor had seen her steps stumble, her head hang, her body shaking and sweating. At one point Yaz had crawled on hands and knees her hands clawing into the dirt of the path. Only twice had she almost faltered and stopped, but she had kept going. And those last dozen or so steps when she was so close that The Doctor could see her close her eyes and mouth the words ‘I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming.’ Then watching with tears in her own eyes as she saw the exhausted young woman get closer and closer step by agonizing step with tears running out from under closed lids. The image of Yaz grew to life sized as the girl opened her eyes, reached out, whispered “I love you, Doctor”, stepped forward, and fell out of the image and into The Doctor's arms.

The Doctor cried with joy. “Oh my god. Yaz you did it. You found me.” And gave the girl a big hug.

Yaz looked at her stunned. “Doctor? Is it.. Is it really you?”

“Oh yes. Most definitely.” Yaz burst into tears and hugged her tight with The Doctor hugging right back not letting go until tears subsided and Yaz pulled away. “Better now?”

Yaz gave her a red eyed smile but didn't let go of her hand. “Better now. Thank you.”

“Oh no, Yaz, thank you.”

Then as the white room shimmered away leaving them standing in a striped tent that opened to a bright bustling open air market place, the first wheezy, whiney sounds of the TARDIS were heard. The TARDIS materialized next to them about a foot off the ground a dropped down with a thump. The doors were thrown open and Graham was saying “Not much of a landing?”

Ryan came out right behind him. “Hey I got us here, didn't I?”

The Doctor beamed at them both. “Yes, Ryan, you did. Well done both of you.” She looked back at Yaz squeezed her hand. “All of you. Well done all of you. My wonderful Fam.”

A loudspeaker voice filled the tent. “Welcome, honored guests. Welcome to the grand market where you can find all the wonders of the universe.”

The Doctor looked at the market outside the tent, looked back at her wonderful fam, and smiled. “Yeh. Not sure I'm still in the mood for shopping. In fact not in the mood for a grand market at all. Besides if need anything, heard Kerblam! Was back up and running, can just order it. Let's get out of here. What do you say, fam?”

Graham shrugged “Fine with me.”

“Sure thing.” Said Ryan

“Oh most definitely.” Said Yaz

In the TARDIS The Doctor went to the console and started flipping switches and pulling levers. “You know what I am in the mood for? Dinner. Dinner sound really good right now. Nice relaxing little place I know about serves steaks and burgers and 37 different kinds of salad.” She beamed at the others who smiled back happy to be back together. “Great place. Top notch. Well, so I've been told. Never actually been there myself.”

As the final switch was pulled and the whiney wheezing began Ryan frowned. “Wait. Isn't that what she said about this place?” and they were off.

TE


End file.
